


Silver Wolf 2- Till Fear Do Us Part

by andybean92



Series: The Silver Wolf Saga [2]
Category: Kpop - Fandom, Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Angst, Blood, Breakups, Drinking, Drugs, Guns, Happy Ending, Knives, M/M, Minor Character Death, Secrets can't last, Serial Killer, Sex, Silver Wolf is back, Smut, Superheroes, Swearing, Violence, Whump, Wonkyun, bad things are gonna happen, injuries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-09-14
Packaged: 2020-09-26 19:54:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20395252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andybean92/pseuds/andybean92
Summary: The Silver Wolf is back! After months of inaction the Rue Devils are crawling out the woodwork. A serial killer is killing idols and Changkyun is obsessed with stopping the man. But with his own life falling to pieces can he stop the killer or will he be his next victim?





	1. The confession of Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, so I just realized I didn't write in the notes. Facepalm! Anyway, welcome back to all my readers. I bring you book two which I have had stewing in my mind for some time. Warning to new readers: it is best if you read book one first to understand this one.
> 
> Also, Book Two is gonna be hella dark. Changkyun is going to go to a dark place in this one. So prepare for a lot of hurt and tears. 
> 
> Love you all!

The door to the laundromat tinkled open as the two hulking men sauntered in. The red band on their arm giving off no doubt who they were. Rue Devils. Seoul’s ruling gang were back but the fear the band once brought had dimmed a lot in the past year. When a hero had risen from the shadows.

The old man lifted his head and wearily watched the two men stalk towards him. He knew what they wanted but he said nothing. Instead he let them walk towards him.

The shorter of the two pulled up to the counter while the other lingered menacingly in the back. The short one looked up with a cruel grin on his face.

“Jeonwoo, Jeonwoo. Do you know what day it is?”

The old man shrugged, “Wednesday?”

The short man nodded, “Yes Wednesday the fourth of June. Three days late for when you are supposed to pay up your protection fees.”

Still the old man said nothing, his eyes milky with age. The short man knocked on the wood.

“Now Lee Jeonwoo, this little laundromat is an important part of this neighbourhood, which is why I talked Byunghee here out of wrecking the place and breaking your hands.”

The larger man pulled a clean coat to the floor in a childish show of strength. The old man still did not react instead pulling his bored gaze back to the short man. A pull in the side of his jaw showed the flash of frustration he felt at the nonchalance of Jeonwoo.

“So because of your age I decided to let this one slip but you owe us…”

“I owe you nothing.” The man finally spoke up, voice churning through his throat like a cold wind through a wooded road. The short man froze wondering if he had heard what he thought he had just heard.

“What?” He laughed incredulously.

“I said I owe you nothing Devil. Now get out my store.”

The short man grabbed Jeonwoo’s starched collar and pulled him close so they were inches apart.

“You don’t get to tell us what to do old man. You pay us and we don’t hurt you. You need us for protection.”

The old man’s eyes stayed glued to his and the short man felt unnerved by the intensity.

“I don’t your protection.”

Shortie leaned in closer, “Then who will protect you.”

The old man’s eyes shifted to look over the Devil's shoulder, “He will!”

Shortie spun around fearful at the guess of who it was. Behind him Byunghee fell to his knees unconscious and in the light of the doorway stood The Silver Wolf.

Shortie stumbled back in fear as the black eyes of the wolf mask seemed to hone into his very soul. The man took a step forward and the Rue Devil felt fear knock him from his feet. He held up his hands pleading for mercy. But the hero strode forward.

“Wait, please. I didn’t do anything! I wasn’t going to hurt him.”

But the wolf did not care for it hauled him strongly to his feet by his own collar and with unnatural strength held him in the air.

“Kim Somin!” The wolf matter-a-factly stated the Devil’s name with a growling voice that only invoked further fear. He felt urine wet his crouch as his emotions caught the worse of him. Th Silver Wolf wolf looked down, snarled and dropped Somin to the floor. Looking up the wolf spoke to the air.

“Moon I’m at the laundromat got two Devil’s here.”

Somin whimpered at the name the wolf brought up. Detective Moon Jaehyung, the head of the anti-organised crime unit. A unit dedicated to bringing the Rue Devil’s down and The Silver Wolf was their poster boy.

Said hero creaked his neck, a tired shrug in his shoulders as he bent to look at the crying Somin.

“Any devil who pees himself his unlikely to know but I will ask anyway. Where have Sin Ryukjin?? And the rest of the upper men disappeared too?”

Somin shook his head in unknown. It was a question he himself would like to know. Since Nero died the executives had gone to ground and the devils had been overturned. But they would not stop, there was too much at stake.The wolf shrugged and stood again moments before a contingent of officers came through the door followed by detective Moon himself.

The wolf tiredly walked towards Moon and Somin watched as they left the Laundromat as the cuffs clicked shut around his wrists.

———————-

“That’s nine arrests in three hours Wolf you should be proud.” Moon said with a rare tilt of pride in his voice.

Changkyun came to stop beside him and said nothing. Moon gave him a concerned look. A look he was seeing far to often on the faces of far to many people. The detective moved closer, “How are you Kyun?”

The young man shrugged. What was he going to say. I’m exhausted, I’m bone wearily tired and I just want a fucking holiday.

“I’m fine.” He said, his usually script in place.

He wasn’t fine everyone knew that. Since becoming The Silver Wolf almost one year ago, his whole life had been turned upside down. He had been stabbed by a madman while saving a girl he now called his sidekick, had been injected with a super soldier serum, brought down Nero, had his group mates kidnapped, had fallen in love and then had died again. But life hadn’t slowed down for him. The Rue Devil’s still ran the city he loved and as long as they were out there his family and friends were not safe.

So Changkyun split himself into three people. The masked hero set on bringing down the famed gangsters. Being the city'ssuperhero. In doing so he had gained the favour of Starship’s CEO- Kim Sidae. Who expected Changkyun to be his personal bodyguard.

Then there was of course I.M, his musical persona. Monsta X were busier than ever. Everyday they gained new fans and the company continued to push for new music, new concerts or shows. Something that had once been his refuge had taken a back burner to all the rest of his life. He still spent ungodly amounts of time in his studio writing raps and composing songs with Wooki but it wasn’t the refuge he had one seen it as.

Then there was Changkyun. The real him. The maknae of Monsta X, the groups protector and confidant. Hoseok’s boyfriend. Since finding out about his secret identity things had gotten easier at home now he didn’t have to hide it and up until a month ago his relationship with Hosoek had been amazing.

He shock his head as bad thoughts popped into his head. Moon’s hand landed on his shoulder.

“Listen you head home and I’ll wrap up for the night.”

Despite how badly he wanted to stay out and put a few more Rue Devil’s behind bars, Changkyun couldn’t help but agree. He needed a few hours of sleep. He nodded thankful no one could see the tired bags under his eyes.

“Yeah sounds like a plan. Joon said the others all have individual schedules until later this evening so should give me at least three hours of sleep.”

He didn’t want to say that three hours was probably longer than he had all week. Moon bit his lip.

“How is he by the way, Joon?”

That brought a small smile to Changkyun’s face. Since their last manager had put a few bullets into him it had been time for a new one. Moon had suggested his own nephew. The placement couldn’t be more perfect. Joon was as no nonsense as Moon and as kind as him too.

“We couldn’t asked for a better manager. The fact that Kihyun allows him in the kitchen to cook should be testament enough.”

Moon laughed. “Off you go kid and good look with the concert this weekend.”

Changkyun took the fast way home. A taxi. His eyes had threatened to close the entire time but he fought the urge to sleep by thinking of what he still needed to do.

Shidae had been talking about bolstering the security around himself and the other groups. Changkyun had suggested an actual security company but the CEO had grown paranoid since meeting Ryukjin and had decided The Silver Wolf was his only choice. Changkyun had attempted to argue that with his actual Silver Wolf duties and his duties as I.M he didn’t have the time to watch Shidae. Which was why the man had bought a massive apartment complex and moved all the groups including his own family into it. "Now we are under one roof," he had said like it solved all Changkyun’s problems.

It had not. While having more space was a positive. Having Shidae one story above him was a nightmare. Not only did he worry the man could here every time he had loud sex with Hoseok but Shidae had taken to calling him over every time the man feared for his life. Which was a lot!

Then there was the music. In their last two songs he hadn’t had any lines. English songs without so much as a peep from I.M and fans were starting to notice. Rumours had been floating around since he first bulked up that something was wrong. Some of the more ridiculous rumours was that he was planning on leaving the group, others was that he had died and been replaced. Which in a way was true but with everything that was going on his actual job had taken a back seat. And he had tried to remind the fans that he had been a huge part of writing said songs. It didn’t matter.

The taxi pulled up outside there dorms and he handed the man a wad of cash. Dragging his limbs up the stairs he rested his head against the cool glass of the elavator fighting sleep until he was in his bedroom. He peeled off his cilvilain clothes and then carefully pulled himself from the Silver Wolf armour. The new set had been upgraded, this time with heavier Kevlar and antibodies that would attached themsleves to a wound to stop any bleeding. An upgrade he sorely needed.

He climbed into his bed and placed his earplugs in his ears and the sleep mask one this face. The side efforts of having double the serum in his veins was a double edged sword. He had gained new powers such as a bit of a spider sense and with some concentration could almost visualized what had happened at a crime scene. But it also meant that when he dropped his guard, even for a second, his senses went crazy. It was like been assaulted on ever plane of exsistance. He had managed to work on it so the only time it happened was when he slept and thats why he took the precautions. It was also why Minhyuk was his roommate and no one else. For despite his countless energy during the day, Minhyuk slept like the dead. Barely moving or breathing. And he had chosen himself as Changkyun’s self proclaimed sleep protector. Whatever the hell that meant.

He closed his eyes and felt sleep pulling him down into the tendrils of dream. Tomorrow he would wake up and get back to work.

But across town one idol would not have the chance.

————————————————————  
The girl sobbed, the cement floor biting into her exposed knees.

“Please!” she begged though she doubted it mattered. She refused to open her eyes terrified of what she would see. She felt the beast circling her.

“You can end it now all you must do is confess.” Said the cruel voice through the haze.

“To what?.” She said again hoping for some kind of mercy but she knew it would never come. Help would never come.

Her eyes gently slipped open and she screamed, a loud guttural scream. Before her was an ephereal child its blood seeping into the floor. Surrounding her, bay like creatures crawled towards her screeching in hunger. She clamped her eyes shut.

“You can end it. Confess.” The voice said again.

The creatures were beginning to bury her under their weight. She let out a sob.

“Okay, okay I am not pure. I am not innocent. Last year I felt pregant. The father was our choreographer. I had an abortion. The baby would ruin my career. I want to be a mom one day but it would run ruin everything I worked towards!”

A hand clasped around hers and a tiny pill was slipped into it.

“You are forgiven.” The voice said.

She lifted the pill to her mouth sending out an apology to her father who had raised her. Her group members that would be heart broken to find her gone but fear had gripped her heart. Either way she would die tonight. She slide the pill between lipstick stained lips.

A sigh of relief left her mouth as she keeled forward onto the floor. Body twitching as the pill destroyed her body. Her glassy eyes stared out onto the floor no ghostly souls in sight. Instead a pair of boots appeared before her. The man stroked a strand of hair behind her ear as her heart finally stopped.

——————-

Changkyun woke like a princess from a fairytale. Stretching out each of his joints popped. Pulling off his mask and earplugs, he hissed as the world assaulted his senses.

One thousand noises. People outside the dorm, a tv left on three floors down and a pigeon cooing outside the window. He took a deep breath feeling it subside back to his new normal. Taking three more deeps breath his body tingled with wrong. Something didn’t quite feel right. Pulling his phone of the nightstand his jaw dropped open as it took in the date and time. He had aimed to sleep four maybe five hours. According to his phone and the totally relaxation in his body he had slept 36 hours.

“Fuck.” He cursed under his breath. That had not been planned. He stretched his senses out to the rest of the house glad to see only Kihyun and Hyungwon were home and in the kitchen. Pulling on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt he walked to where they were.

“Ah sleeping beauty has finally risen.” Joked Hyungwon looking up from his textbook. He had decided to go back to school to get a certificate in sound production. Changkyun gracefully flopped on to the stool opposite him as Kihyun pushed a massive breakfast in his directions. The main singer winked.

“I heard you getting up thought you would be hungry.”

The older male was right of course. Because of the predator dna within his veins Changkyun ate a lot more than any normal human and after 36 hours of sleep he was ravished.

“Sorry I slept so long I thought I set my alarm for a few hours.”

Hyungwon blushed and looked away.

“Mmm yeah you did.”

The maknae frowned, he would have it go off even through the ear plugs.

“We switched it off, “stated Kihyun matter-of-factly daring Changkyun to argue back. He didn’t, he was to well rested to do so.

“Why?” He still asked wanting to know although he knew the answer.

“Because you barely sleep anymore. I get you have superpowers but even heroes have to rest sometimes.”

He knew they were right and he felt better than he had in a long time so he just smiled up in thanks. Telling himself not to become to emotional. For the most part the rest of Monsta X had been his biggest support. When he had come to them tell them that until the Rue Devils were all behind bars he was going to continue being The Silver Wolf it had caused an outrage.

The group had brought it to a vote. Minhyuk and Hyungwon had immediately voted yes, the former thinking it was awesome to have a superhero as a maknae and the latter deciding it was Changkyun’s responsibility to be the Wolf. Kihyun had politely declined from voting saying he wanted no part in it. Although he seemed to lean more to the side of supporting Changkyun. Jooheon had flat out refused to even think about letting Changkyun continue.

“No! No! No! Are you all mad? He got killed TWICE. And you are all okay with him risking his life again?”

Hoseok had been more reserved but still his answer had been a resolute no. He didn’t want to lose Changkyun again. Leave the job to someone else not to the boy he loved.

But ultimately it had been Shownu’s vote that sealed the deal. Much to everyone’s surprise the leader had voted yes.

“Changkyun has the ability to help people so he should be able to. Besides even if we voted no we all know it wouldn’t stop him.”

How well they knew him!

He stuffed the food into his mouth not really tasting any of it much to Kihyun’s annoyance. Hyungwon merely giggled and continued to read.

“Where’s everyone else.” He asked around a mouthful of bacon.

Kihyun grabbed two of his already empty plates, “Jooheon is out with Jackson. Minhyuk and Shownu are grocery shopping and hmm Hoseok is at his studio.”

Neither mentioned the way Changkyun’s spoon faltered slightly at the mention of his boyfriend. But Hyungwon did turn to watch him, worry in his eyes before he closed his book and stood.

“Alright I can’t read another word. I am going for a walk. Changkyun you are coming with me.”

Protesting he allowed himself to be dragged away from the table and towards the door. The day was nice, the summer sun beating down on the streets while a simple breeze kept it comfortable. The boys walked in companionable silence but Changkyun could feel the way Hyungwon was holding himself back. Finally as they turned the bend by the river Hyungwon casually shoved his hands in his pockets.

“So wanna talk about it?”

Changkyun sighed. He stopped as Hyungwon did and looked into his friend’s eyes.

“Kyun?”

“I don’t know hyung. I feel like he's pulling away. Realizing he made a mistake when he asked me to be his. We are still have amazing sex don’t get me wrong but there is something off. And I can’t seem to talk to him about it. The minute I try bring it up he either blows me off or gets angry. Makes me feel like the bad guy when I have no idea what I have done wrong.”

Hyungwon knew what he was talking about. Changkyun’s relationship with Hoseok was a beautiful, happy thing the whole team loved. And as the second eldest’s best friend had made him sigh a breath of relief when they finally got together. But lately something had changed. Hoseok got angry at the youngest over stupid things. When he waved at a male fan, when Gunhee had come to visit hell even when Changkyun spent the night at Red’s too tired (or injured) to come home. When Changkyun sought him out Hoseok would use some excuse not to see him. And with how busy the boy’s schedule was they didn’t have a lot of time together.

Their latest fight had been particularly nasty one.

The youngest had returned home from a particularly horrifying case. The perp he had been chasing had thrown himself off a building rather than be taken into custody. Turning to Hoseok for comfort Changkyun had been promptly turned away.

“You chose to be the Silver Wolf you deal with it.”

The attitude had been uncharacteristic for the usually kind hearted man but for Changkyun who was sleep deprived and reeling from the death it had been a nasty blow. Shownu had found him three hours later huddled in a corner of his own studio sobbing like a baby. The leader had held him while he let it all out. It had been nice being held in Shownu’s arms reassured that he wasn’t a monster. He had even allowed Shownu to take him home, to climb in the bed behind him like he used to before the Silver Wolf mess and stroke his hair.

Hoseok on the other hand freaked out finding them cuddled together in bed. He had accused Changkyun of been a whore, of cheating, of using him. He had kept saying that the rumours were all true. Rumours none of the others knew about. Hoseok had stormed off and refused to even look at Changkyun since. Shownu had even stopped talking to the maknae in hopes it would help. It hadn’t.

“Hyung please tell me what to do? I love Hoseok and I would never do anything to hurt him. But he keeps pushing me away and I don’t know how much more I can take.”

Hyungwon grimaced. It didn’t help that no matter how much he tried to pry his best friend Hoseok clammed up more. He wanted to help so badly knowing Changkyun really didn’t need relationship issues on top of everything else.

“Maybe try talk to him now you are rested up. He seemed really worried when you slept so long. Kept saying it wasn’t right to expect so much of you.”

He went to agree when his phone rang. It was Moon.

“Detective.”

He expected a snark from the man for sleeping for so long but the sigh on the other end set the hairs on the back of his neck sticking up. It was a new case and it was a bad one.

“Wolf we need your help. Think you can suit up and meet me at 368 West street in Gangham in 30 minutes.”

He grimaced but agreed. He would talk to Hoseok later. Hyungwon looked at him with pained eyes.

“Another case?”

The boy nodded. Something was happening, the Rue Devil’s activities had been ramping up the past few weeks and it was setting the Silver Wolf team on edge.

“I had better go but I promise I will talk to Hoseok when I get home.”

Hyungwon pulled him into a hug.

“Be safe out there Kyun.”

A wave of nausea hit Changkyun the closer they got the the crime scene. Even Ryan went quiet in their ear pieces. He pulled the car up alongside a dozen service cars.

“Oh this is bad.” Muttered Sooee under her breath as she pulled up her bandana across her face. The silver fangs baring at him.

The feelings of sickness grew worse as they ducked under the cordoned off section. The stench of terror drenched the whole area and only got worse the closer they got. News cameras turning as Seoul’s superhero entered the scene. Surely things would be okay if he was here.

A young constable greeted them and lead them up the stairs.

“Our victim is on the top floor.”

As they turned the stairway for the last floor Changkyun doubled over in pain. Sooee grabbed him before he could go down.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. Her fear its…” he took a deep breath trying to push away the phantom feelings. Sensing the scene came in handy and he was used to the hit in the gut that each feeling caused. The pain, anger and fear the victims embedded itself in the walls. But this? This was indescribable, a fear so strong that he couldn’t help but feel a strike of terror himself. Never had he felt such pain from sensing. He wouldn't be able to work if he didn't dampen it down a bit. Taking a deep breath he steeled himself, bringing his state down as low as it could go. The fear was still too much.

The constable shuffled his feet. His face was pale like he had seen a ghost. Changkyun wondered if they too were in some way sensing the fear. He couldn't smell any blood so the death couldn't have been physically violent.

“How did she die?” He asked still bent over in pain, Sooee rubbing his back in comforting circles.

“It probably be best if Detective Moon tells you sir.”

Moon was standing by the body his jaw set in the way only a man who had seen to much death could do. He didn’t even look as Sooee and Changkyun entered the room. The fear was stifling in here. When he saw the glassy gaze of the girl staring up at him, he let out a whimper. Recognition dawned in his mind.

Yoo Taeyoon from Katz.

The 27 year old singer had been an idol Changkyun looked up to. She had been barely more than a back up singer when her group had debuted eight years earlier but she had worked herself to the point where she had the second only to the main singer. She was Korean’s sweetheart. Beloved by all for her sweet, innocent persona. And here she now lay dead. Losing anyone hurt but seeing another idol hit him hard.

“What? Who did this?”

Moon sighed.

“She did. Technically she killed herself.”

It was like he had been slapped.

“What?” 

Moon jerked his head to where a video camera stood before her. He pressed played.

Taeyoon sat sobbing. The pain of it like a knife through his heart.

“Please.” She cried out eyes screwed shut.

A second voice came from behind he screen and it shot fear down his spine. Fear Changkyun had never felt before.

“You can end it now all you must do is confess”

“To what?”

She opened her eyes and the scream that erupted from her throat made the Wolf jump. It didn’t sound natural and it set his hairs on end. The predator inside him screaming at the wrongness of it all. Even in his mask his hands flew to his eyes trying to drown out the pain he heard in the screams.

“You can end it. Confess.”

And so she did. Her pregnancy and subsequent abortion. Behind the mask tears sprung to his eyes. He loved idol live but sometimes he hated the rigidity of it all. A baby would have ruined her career and so would the news of an abortion. Idols had to be perfect and pure. They couldn’t be human.

A gloved hands clasped hers and in it was passed a tiny pink pill. She slid it between her lips, they watched as it took affect. The camera turned off.

Moon’s hand clasped his shoulder.

“The news will be spreading soon. The video here isn’t the only copy.”

His head snapped to look at Moon, the detective’s hollowed eyes staring at the body.

“The killer released it to the news 20 minutes ago. Her confession. Everything. I plan to give a speech later today to smooth things over.”

Changkyun shook, “Why kill her? ‘Cos she had an abortion?”

Moon bit his lip and shrugged. “For now we will look into the choreographer she mentioned as well as her group. Managers, any crazed fans. Heck even friends from her childhood. Someone held a grudge against her.”

Good then at least they had a plan.

“Kyun there is something else." He broke off staring at the girl on the floor. Her knees scuffed, tear marks dried on her cheeks.

"I think this maybe linked to the Rue Devils.”

He frowned and Moon rewound the video to where the hand reached out. In the very corner was a stroke of red. Rue Devil red. His heart stuttered.

“The drug is called Bliss. We have been seeing it around nightclubs lately. With the right dosage is send you into a five hour state of absolute nirvana. The wrong dosage well…” Moon looked at the girl.

Changkyun growled the noise made more animal as it escaped his mask.

“Let me guess the Devils are behind Bliss too.”

Moon nodded. Changkyun felt a renewed vigor of energy overcome him.

“We have been waiting months for the Rue Devils to reamerge. This time they go down for good.”

——————————-

The man watched from afar as the Silver Wolf and his sidekick left the building. He tracked them with his eyes, a playful smile on his lips. His eyes zeroed in on the young man in his armour and grinned. The hero didn’t know it yet but this was all a game. One designed for the two of them. A game he had designed to win.

But first he would have to lay a few more pieces on the board. Break the Silver Wolf apart until their was nothing left. He needed the boy beneath the mask at his weakest and only then could he destroy him.


	2. Fear for Love

Dinner in the dorm was quiet. The kind of quiet the proceded a death. No one necessarily felt like eating. The news of Yoo Taeyoon had spread like wildfire. Some people were mourning her loss, others were angry. Finding out a woman they idolized was simply human was not what they wanted. They turned on her and her legacy.

Whore

Monster

Bitch

Names the internet was throw her way. It left Changkyun sick to the stomach. Even with his massive appetite he didn’t feel hungry. He wondered how the world would react if they ever found out about him. A gay superhero who had died, twice. Yeah he would be executed regardless if he hadn’t done anything wrong. Idols were meant to be perfect and he was far from it.

Jooheon put down his fork, the utensil clattered against the side of the plate.

“Did…did she suffer?” He asked. Changkyun knew that despite him looking at his food it was directed at him.

All eyes turned to him and the maknae frowned. His group rarely asked about his investigations more focused on how he was. They knew he didn’t want to involve them as more for their sanity as his own. But this was different. This was an idol they all knew and liked. A woman they admired. And they had watched it happen on the tv.

He shook his head in repsonse. Once she swallowed the pill her body had quickly and quietly shut down.

“The drug once ingested mmm….it was fast.”

He couldn’t say anymore. He had spent the entire morning with the police combing the crime scene for clues. The worst part was he couldn’t find anything. Not only was it completly devoid of any other evidence. Whoever the killer was, was somehow actively hindering his abilities. He hadn’t noticed the alcoholic smell when he first came in to overwhelmed by the fear lingering in the room. But once he had set to it the fact came all to real. Someone know he would be on the case and was purposely covering up from him.

“You going to find her killer?” This time it was Hoseok who asked, his eyes directed at Changkyun’s face. The first words he had spoken to the maknae all week.

The youngest nodded his eyes trained on Hoseok.

Changkyun reached out with his senses to get a feel on his boyfriend but there were too many emotions to comprehend. Anger was the most prevalent. Betrayal too. Hoseok closed his eyes, brow furrowed so deeply wrinkles formed on his head. He suddenly pushed away from the table saying he was no longer hungry. Changkyun’s heart dropped to his stomach wondering what he had done now. A hand grasped his leg and he looked over to Shownu looking at him sadly. A rush of warm and love went through him at the care the elder sent his way.

It was true the two had grown closer in the last year. The leader been the only one he could actually talk to about his life. Jooheon hated anything to do with his alter ego, Minhyuk thought it was too cool and Hoseok clammed up every time he brought up his problems. The leader jerked his head in the direction of Hoseok. Telling him that he had to be the bigger man. With sigh he thank Kihyun for the food and hurried after his boyfriend.

He found the other boy lying on his bed, facing away from him. He didn’t need to see the tautness in his shoulders to know Hoseok knew he was there.

“Are you ever going to talk to me again?” He grimaced knowing that was probably the worst way to start things. But he was emotionally drained and just wanted his loving boyfriend who used to hold him. Used to care when he was feeling down. Hoseok didn’t answer although a sickly sweet smell arose from the boy. One Changkyun couldn’t place.

“Will you at least tell me what I have done wrong so I can fix it.” He said rushed. A silent beg at the end of the sentence. On the other side of Hoseok the older male dropped his phone as he rolled off the mattress and sat up. His eyes remained on the floor.

“I can’t do this Kyun. I can’t keeping watching you running off never knowing if you will come back alive. I hate been second to a fucking alter ego.”

Changkyun sighed. So it was the same fight then.

Hoseok stood now a fire under his feet.

“Every time you walk out the door, I see you bleeding to death on that warehouse floor. I barely survived it then and things are getting worse. I know who much it hurts you. You forget I used to be the one you went to when it got to much. When the scars wouldn’t heal fast enough, when the noise in your head got to much. When did I stop been your person?”

He had begun to cry growing closer and closer. Changkyun own heart stuttered as Hoseok let his guard down and his hurt hit the youngest like a freight train.

Hoseok’s hands came to clutch desperately at his shirt.

“When did I stop being the most important person in your life.”

Changkyun shook his head tears in his own eyes.

“You never stopped. You have no idea how much I love you Seok.”

He moved in Hoseok’s space hoping almost begging that the boy wouldn’t argue anymore.

“I’ve missed you so much. I hate been away from you.” He whispered inches away from Changkyun’s lips and suddenly he needed to feel every inch of the other man’s body against his own.

Hoseok pulled him close and into a sloppy kiss. Hands roaming across each other in wanton ecstasy. Hooking his hands under Hoseok’s ass he hefted the man up and onto the bed as he crawled across his boyfriend’s ripped body. Hands pulled him closer as their tongues battled for dominance but Changkyun would always let Hoseok win. He liked been dominated. Sure enough soon enough the older man groaned in frustrated and flipped them over. Changkyun’s legs wrapped around his waist.

He pulled away to unbuckle Hoseok’s jeans before attacking his mouth again. In a flash Hoseok had gotten rid of both their pants and was clumsily reaching across to the nightstand looking for the lube he had there. He broke his mouth away with a curse as he moved to find the much needed bottle. Changkyun on the other hand was letting his predator get the best of him as he latched his mouth to Hoseok’s nipples delighting in the moan that escaped his boyfriend’s mouth.

“Fuck Kyun.”

He felt one slicked up finger enter him and he arched up in pleasure. The growl that left his throat turning Hoseok on further. A second finger entered him but it wasn’t enough.

“I need you inside me now.” He growled out pulling Hoseok close almost like it were a command.

The fingers disappeared and Hosoek’s forehead came to rest against his as he lined himself up. He slide in. The muscles in Changkyun’s stomach as he felt the dick bury itself deep in him. Hoseok was thicker and longer than most of the guys he had slept with but damn did it feel right. The older man didn’t wait for him to adjust as he began to thrust, gripping Changkyun’s hips with bruising power. He cried out as Hoseok found his sweet spot breath stuttering as he felt Hoseok bite down on his shoulder. Marking him. The thrust came faster and harder now as Hoseok worked himself to a quick release. Opening his sense of touch the pleasure Changkyun took over him and he cried out his release. Hoseok not far behind as he thrust one last time. Changkyun exposed his teeth as he felt the veiny dick inside him trhob with its own release.

Fluttering kisses went across his face and neck as Hoseok rode out the high carefully slipping out of him.

“I love you Changkyun!”

—————-

The man looked up at his wall. Ice blue eyes looking over his plan. Four things he would have to destroy before his prey would be weak enough to take.

Love

Friendship

Identity

Self-worth

It was a long road but it would be worth it in the end.

The door behind him opened allowing the sounds from the nightclub on the other side to blow in. He recoiled the noise to much for him to handle. He sniffed the air and allowed the man to approach him.

Xiu Lin placed a bottle on the table.

“Four more all primed to kill.”

The man smiled and pocketed the bottle.

“You have done well.”

The dealer nodded before the man turned back to his board.

“Tell Ryukjin I want him out of hiding. The Rue Devils must bring havoc to this town. I want them to destroy everything The Silver Wolf has done. The people of Seoul must turn from their precious hero.”

Xiu Lin left the room leaving the man to glare at the picture of a boy. A boy with smiling eyes and a kind smile.

———————-

Changkyun took a peek down at his watch mentally willing Ryan to hurry up about the new innovations he was adding to their network. Facial recognition, emergency alerts all of them were great but he had a lot to do and Moon had yet to arrive to bring them up to speed on the murder investigation.

Thankfully a few minutes later his ears perked up hearing the classic squeak of Moon’s door closing. He scrunched his nose as the smell of sweat, sleepless nights and uselessness drifted off Moon in waves. Even before he entered the room he knew the man was going to look terrible. Red must have sensed the same thing for she already had a bowl of soup and some coffee ready for the detective when he trudged in, arms filled with files.

“Team.” He gruffly greeted. Sooee and Changkyun shared a look. The detective dropped the pile of the table the team stood around.

“So I have bad news and er bad news which do you wanna hear first.”

“That bad hey?” Ryan asked turning away from his screens for a second.

Moon pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Everyone we questioned had an alibi and her group said she showed no signs of depression or of been blackmailed. The scene was wiped down so other than the video we have no evidence that anyone else was there. Kyun did you pick up on anything.”

The hero dropped his head feeling bad to disappoint the man who had become a bit of a father figure to him.

“I’m sorry. It was like the killer knew exactly how to block my senses. I think we are dealing with someone who knows more about me than the average Devil.”

“They have had a year to study all your weak spots and Nero may still have told someone about you,” Sooee said pulling closer to her friend.

Moon shook his head at the same time Ryan answered, “Nero wanted the glory all to himself. There is no electronic trail to suggest he told anyone.”

“But there could be a verbal one.” Sooee snapped back.

Before things could descend into chaos Changkyun rose from his seat.

“Regardless of if Nero told or not we have a duty to the people of Seoul to bring down the Devils. Moon do we have a list of dealers who trade in Bliss?”

A worried smell tickled Changkyun’s nostrils as Moon handed him a thick list.

“Most of the dealers are small-time but they all are linked to the devils. The main supplier though seems to be someone we know.”

He passed over a picture, a secret shot of Xiu Lin. His heart stuttered in his chest as he looked at the picture of the man. He had heard very little of the Chinese criminal since the dealer had killed a devil last year. But if he had links to Bliss and The Rue Devils then he was going to be a problem.

“Okay, Ryan look around to see who Taeyoon told about her abortion. Look up psychologist visits, texts to her parents. The secret must have gotten out somehow. Moon make a list of the most likely dealers to crack and tomorrow I’ll visit a few. Sooee there is something that has been bothering me about the video, about the scene in general. It reeked of fear.”

Sooee shrugged, “She was been forced to kill herself, of course, she was scared.”

Changkyun shook his head, “No this was…I can’t describe it. It was fear that you can only feel once because otherwise, it would kill you. I noticed she had her eyes closed until he said to confess. Something about this screams that we are missing something. And fear has to do with it.”

She nodded and the group dismissed all except Red and Changkyun. The foreign woman looked at him, her brilliant red hair in a side braid over her shoulder. She was a fierce woman but motherly enough that she was Changkyun’s anchor in the turbulent sea that was his life. A wave of calm came over him as she reached out using their connection.

“I have a bad feeling about all this.” The woman said. Changkyun’s shoulder’s drooped telling her in no small part that he agreed with her. The minute he had walked into the crime scene he had known something was off and he could tell Red was holding something back. He wondered if he should pry but decided against it. When the time was right Red would tell. She wasn’t one to keep secrets from him.

He watched her face carefully for any tells but she smiled and walked around the table to pull him into a motherly side hug.

“You had better get going before Jooheon storms in here because you missed the soundcheck. Leave the rest to us and I will call you if anything comes up.”

He wanted to object but she was already manhandling him towards the door. As she pushed him out the back door towards his black, nondescript car she grabbed his arms and smiled at him.

“Just know I am proud of you kid. I really am.” He smiled back at her, thankful for her constant support.

“Say hello to the others for me and tell Kihyun I am still waiting for that martini recipe. I don’t know what he put in there but I was buzzed for hours.”

He had left on a positive note but his mood grew sourer the closer he got to home. All the radio could talk about Yoo Taeyoon’s death and unfortunately, more people were turning on her. It made him sick to the stomach. By the time he pulled into the dorm’s parking lot, he was swinging between anger and bone-weary tiredness. As he pulled the door to their floor open a piece of paper fluttered to the ground. In confusion, he picked it up and a frozen chill ran through his veins.

I know who you really are Silver Wolf.

He shoved the paper in his back pocket trying to steel his face against the sudden panic in his heart. He doubted it was a prank from any of his members, they knew not to do something like this. It couldn't be his team either. Ryan never left the basement of Red's Bar and Sooee was as stressed as he was these days. Which shifted this into the danger zone. He walked into the dorm and told his heart to calm down as Minhyuk launched himself into his arms. Sloppily kisses covered his face, a usual greeting from his sunshine hyung.

“Ah, my baby is home!” The man yelled happily. He smiled despite his bad mood and the worrisome note in his back pocket. The rest of the group beckoned him over for lunch before they headed out to the venue for the concert that night.

The usual excitement was in the air as he sat down. Hoseok giving him a quick peck on the lips. Relief seemed to permeate the air. His hyungs were happy they had sorted things out but something Hoseok had said the night before was bothering him.

“When did I stop been your person?”

What did that even mean? Changkyun always turned to Hoseok first and it was the other who usually pushed him away. That was when he would seek out Shownu or Sooee A flit of anger shot through him. Was he just not supposed to talk to anyone. Stew in his emotions until Hoseok deemed him good enough to talk to. He shook his head of the thought and ate his lunch with vigour. He needed the energy for the concert.

The concert hall was packed, fans screaming, laughing, crying as the group song and danced their hearts out on stage. Changkyun allowed himself to be fully immersed in the music. In the thing that made him happy. He jogged backstage as Alligator ended, allowing time for DJ H.One to do a set or two. Despite the inhibitors in his system he still felt the vibration of the stage. The music in his veins. Just like how it used to be before the Silver Wolf became his life. The inhibitors were Red’s invention. Tiny pills filled with a cocktail of alcohol and tranquillizers they helped to cut off Changkyun’s abilities for a few hours. They were a necessary evil for such an event would have been deadly to his overactive senses.

So caught up in the moment he completely forgot all his woes. It felt good.

A pair of strong arms encircled his waist and placed a sweet kiss to his neck.

“You looked so sexy out there.”

Preening at the complement he turned in the arms and pulled Hoseok into a bruising kiss.

“You weren’t so bad yourself.”

Hoseok rested his head against Changkyun’s.

“I missed you Kyun. So goddamn much.”

A tiny voice in his head said that it had been Hoseok’s fault they were apart in the first place but he ignored it and allowed his boyfriend to just hold him.

“He,y tonight lets head to Mrs. Oh’s Late Night Cafe. Have a date. Like we used to.”

Changkyun tried to hide his discomfort. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go on a date, hell it had been a while since they just hung out together. Acted like the lovestruck people they were. But he had promised Moon he would do the rounds and keep an ear out about any news of the drug Bliss.

Despite this he nodded with a smile. He needed to show Hoseok he meant the most to him. And if he had to miss a few hours of sleep to do it after the date then so be it.

The rest of the concert went by like a breeze.

“Right team I think we grab some booze and go home to play Cards Against Humanity. I got a new pack.” Kihyun smiled at them all. Minhyuk seemed excited at the notion of getting wretchedly drunk. Hoseok, on the other hand, circled an arm around Changkyun’s waist.

“Sorry boys. I have a date with my beautiful boyfriend.”

Changkyun blushed at the words.

“Aww that's so cute. Okay, go on love birds have fun.” Hyungwon said with a wink in Changkyun’s direction.

Mrs. Oh’s Late night cafe was filled with couples all in their own booths. Loving looks exchanged only between each other, noticing no-one but there loved one. The smell of roses and cotton candy surrounded them. Love was quite literally in air. He and Hoseok weren’t the only gay couple there nor were they the only idol couple. It was nice to able to let loose.

The waitress led them to a secluded booth and took their orders.

Smiling at each other the two just enjoyed the company they were in. They chatted, toasted to the future and giggled like the love-struck fools they should have been.

“That concert was awesome tonight. Manager Joon said that we sold out an hour within tickets going on sale.” Hoseok gushed. Changkyun smiled but there was darkness around his heart. Once music had been the thing his soul revolved around to. In some distant dream, it still did. He no longer had the luxury to feel that way. Not when his life revolved around protecting his chosen family and the city he had come to love.

Hoseok must have sensed his low thoughts as he reached across and clasped his hand.

“The fans were going wild for you. You just continue to grow and grow into an amazing rapper and an amazing person.

“Hyungggg.” He whined but there was a smile on his face.

Hoseok’s face went serious and he took Changkyun’s hand in his own.

“Kyun I know I haven’t…I mean I know things have been difficult for you. Sometimes I feel like my heart is breaking for you. You are our group’s maknae we should be the one who looks out for you and yet sometimes it is like you have aged so much. You split yourself into so many pieces I fear losing you.”

Changkyun’s heart clenched at the description. It was something he had thought about himself too.

“My whole life I saw myself as people’s protectors. First, my mom because she was a single mother, working her ass off just to survive. Then for my friends. Then you guys came into my life and protecting you came naturally. It was easy. But since you become the Silver Wolf it feels sometimes like I am drowning. Like I am failing in protecting you.”

Tears came to Changkyun’s eyes made worse by the pain rolling off Hoseok. The inhibitors were still in his system but they were slowly beginning to wear off. He knew how his boyfriend felt. They had spoken about it so often. Each time Changkyun would answer that he didn’t need protecting, he just needed his boyfriend to be there for him when he needed him the most. But sometimes it was like Hoseok didn’t listen to wound up in his own hurt.

“Hoseokkie Hyung. You do protect me. Every damn day. Who do you think is the one on my mind that makes me more cautious when I am on a mission? Makes me come home every day? Its you! But I don’t need some strong man kicking down doors and beating his chest. I need you to be there for me when I need someone to talk to. Someone to tell me I will be okay.”

Hoseok bit his lip. The memories of Shownu taking his place filling his mind. Beside him Changkyun’s phone rang and with a sigh he uncurled his fingers from Hoseok’s. Missing the heat already.

“This will be Moon with the update on the case. I’ll be right back.”

Hoseok merely nodded and took a drink from his glass. Changkyun hated doing this on a date but Yoo Taeyoon’s death mattered to them both.

Finding a secluded spot beside the kitchen he answered.

“Moon whatcha got?”

“Nothing good. Got the autopsy results back. Confirms she OD’ed on Bliss. They also confirmed your theory about her been terrified. Her adrenaline was apparently through the roof. There was her minor damage to her hypothalamus concurring with acute shock. But Kyun there is something else. The techies found a powder-like substance in her throat and nasal cavities. They can’t seem to test for it as it evaporates the minute they attempt to extract it.”

Changkyun frowned at that. The apartment she had been found in was relatively clean despite it been empty and there were no factories around for it to be environmental.

“Some kind of drug?” He asked biting on his thumbnail.

Moon sighed on the other end and Changkyun could hear papers shuffling. The detective must still have been at the office.

“Yeah ‘though we aren’t sure what. It must have been ingested pre-mortem but whether it was by Yoo Tayoon or our camera guy is anyone's guess.”

Changkyun swore under his breath. This just added a whole other to the case.

“Listen Kyun I know you busy with idol things but I’m gonna need some help weeding out the Bliss dealers in the area. Xiu Lin’s location is still unknown but perhaps we can figure out more from the dealers in the area.”

Changkyun agreed without a second thought. He wanted to catch this killer before he could strike again. Something about the whole case didn’t sit well with him. It may be a coincidence that the killer had scrubbed down the scene with alcohol. But he had spent far much time with Detective Moon and Red to believe in consequences.

There was the whole idea of confession. Taeyoon been an idol. And of course, the worrying note he had received earlier. Before the concert, he had taken a whiff of the paper hoping to catch a smell of who wrote it. But alcohol had assaulted his nose. The written had soaked it to make it harder to sense.

“I’ll take Sooee and hit up some locations tomorrow. Also, send me the video of her death I feel like I am missing something.”

Moon agreed and they bid each other goodbye.

Changkyun took a deep breath trying to return to the persona of Changkyun, loving boyfriend. But first, he needed to go to the bathroom. He wasn’t avoiding going back to the table he just didn’t feel like taking his swirling thoughts back to where Hoseok could see him. The door opened up behind him. A peek over his shoulder showed a foreigner walk in. There was something oddly familiar about him but Changkyun just smiled and went back to his business. As he left he could have shown the man was watching him go. Wiping his wet hands on his jeans he slid back into his booth. Across from him, Hoseok pocketed his phone and he could have sworn he saw a flash of anger in his eyes. In fact, one look over the boy was enough to show how pale and taunt he seemed. Awash of worry shot through Changkyun’s veins. Had he done something wrong?

“Hey listen Changkyun. Do you mind if we head home? I don’t think that food agreed with me.”  
With a sigh of relief, he nodded. If Hoseok seemed to keep a distance from him well Changkyun put it down to him not feeling well.

—————————-

Since becoming Seoul’s superhero Changkyun found it would both assist and hinder investigations. People loved to help even if it didn’t do anything for the investigation at all.

He stormed out of the supposed crack den a worried grandmother had directed him to only to find a group of young boys in the middle of a dungeons and dragons game. Beside him, Sooee came stomping up the street. The small part of what could be seen on her face was twisted in anger. She stopped beside him letting out a string of curses. For some reason, glitter clung to her black armour making it sparkly in the light. Any other time Changkyun would have laughed but as frustrated as he was right now, he was about ready to throw in the towel.

Ryan’s voice came through clearly in his ear.

“Hey Kids!” Came the overly cheerful voice of The Silver Wolf team’s hacker.

“So Moon wants you to check in with the boyfriend. Seems he had some questionable internet usage around the time of her abortion.”

The choreographer, Lee Kitae lived on the other side of town. A trip like that should have taken them an hour but with Sooee’s driving, they made it there in no time. The man who opened the door looked like crap. Two-day old stubble grew on his pallid face. His pyjamas were stained and baggy. He didn’t even blink at the sight of the Silver Wolf and his sidekick standing in the doorway.

“You here about Yoonie? Sorry I mean Taeyoon?”

The grief rolling off the man was heavy and oppressive. A tiny part of Changkyun wanted to reach out and pull the man into a hug. But that would be inappropriate so instead, he nodded and asked to be let in. Kitae moved out the way, holding the door open for them to enter. Changkyun’s stomach rolled at the sour smells in the air. Body odour and unwashed dishes. Anger and loss too. But underneath it, all was the delicate smell of cotton.

Narrowing his eyes he looked at Kitae.

“Do you have another woman living here.”

The man stilted at the accusation before tears sprung to his eyes. He slumped his way to the kitchen where he poured himself half a tumbler of whiskey and downed the whole thing.

“No. Only Taeyoon. Only ever her!”

Changkyun pulled a face behind the mask as he realized that this was a man mourning not some girl he had impregnated but someone who had his heart.

“We feel in love five years ago on Katz’s hit song Beat Bop Baby. She was still trying so hard to be taken seriously by her group. I fell in love with her tenacity. I knew from day one that I would marry…”

A sob broke through his throat and Sooee gently led him to the couch. She sat across from him as Changkyun stood in the back. Kitae took a minute to collect himself before he continued.

“I know what idol life is like. So I never pushed her. I knew when the time was right we could be a proper couple. Then she fell pregnant.”

The smell of guilt rolled off him.

“I hate how I reacted. She was devastated when she heard. She always wanted to be a mom but she had only just become the singer she always wanted to be. She knew if she had the baby it would be the end of her career. I wanted her to keep it.”

Guilt wracked his body, mingled with the grief Changkyun had to step away. Heading to the far side of the room where framed pictures of the couple stood. White lilies framed a single picture of her. Old burned incense beside it. The man had begun to mourn her.

“I know it was stupid but all I could think of was her and our child. We would be a real family. We had a massive fight and she walked out. Three days later she called to say she was having an abortion. Wanted me to be there. I called her a monster and hung up. A few months ago she came by asked me to forgive her. Said she wanted a family with me one day. I…I kicked her out. I was so angry.”

He buried his head in his hands and began to sob, heart-wrenching cries of lose.

“Why would you still turn her away?” Sooee asked a slight edge to her voice. Kitae wiped away his tears but it didn’t help.

“I know it sounds dumb but I found a group of men online who were going through similar things. Their girlfriends and wives who had high powered jobs and didn’t want or couldn’t have kids yet. I just wanted friends who would understand what I was going through. One of them, he called himself Bad Dog had a girlfriend who had fallen pregnant too and did the same thing. He was so angry. Told me that Taeyoon was cruel for taking away what should have been mine. For making a decision like that.”

He sighed, angry at himself.

“I was pathetic. In a bad place and Bad Dog’s words just made sense. We started texting outside the group chat which was against the rules but I just needed his friendship. Then about a month ago he just started ghosting me. I figured he had made up with his lady.”

“Do you know who his girlfriend is?” Changkyun asked keeping an eye on Sooee. The girl seemed to be holding back anger. He would ask her about it after.

Kitae shook his head.

“Don’t know. That was part of the rules. We didn’t say our names or the names of our partners. Safer that way.”

Changkyun nodded. Kitae bit his lip.

“But…I may have once given him my name!”

Changkyun’s head snapped up as he glared at Kitae. The man back-pedalled hands held up in defence.

“I was drunk. I don’t remember how but I spoke to him on the phone. I think I called him. I remember he spoke about ‘my girl’ and how she had wronged me. How she chose idol life over me. How she loved her music more than me. How she wanted fame, glory and fans more than she wanted the love of a good man. I thanked him and he said to call him Song. I told him my name too.”

The man’s hands closed into fist’s.

“I think he had something to do with it?”

Changkyun looked into the man’s eyes. His mask reflected in the brown orbs.

“Why?”

“Because I never, not once told Bad Dog that Taeyoon was an idol.”


	3. Fear in the wake of Love

Changkyun hit the floor with a thud and a groan, his body scraping against the floor. The air rushed out of his lungs at the impact and he cursed internally at the bad luck. But he had little time to get his breath back as the van’s tires squealed as they spun around ready to ram into him once again. The last time would have felled a normal human, Changkyun didn't want to chance a second time. Jumping to his feet he ignored the way his leg screamed in pain. The sensors in his mask made it know the suit was patching up the bloody gashes but was detecting further damage. Like the pain shooting up from his knee wasn't a good enough indicator.

The black van barrelled towards him. Headlights baring down like hungry eyes as the Silver Wolf jumped in between a row of parked cars before scrambling over the divide that separated the first and second floor of the parkade.

the night before Ryan had gotten a hit that some mid-level drug dealer had been selling Bliss to college students. It hadn't been all that hard to find him seeing though he posted it all on Snapchat. It should have been a simple sting, Moon had planned it himself. Posing as a first-year out for a good time, Sooee had contacted the man. The plan had been to meet in the parking lot outside of Seoul’s Women’s University. They would negotiate a deal and as the man passed her the drugs, the Silver Wolf would nab him. Only the meeting time had come and gone. The more time more the more worried Sooee had grown. But before she could call it off an old, rusted black van had come screeching into the parkade. And it had been barrelling straight to the young girl. Changkyun, without a second thought, had knocked her to safety but the wide bumper had knocked him to the floor.

“Sooee you okay?” He yelled in the comms.

A frustrated grunt reached his ears. After a year of working together, Sooee had definitely grown into her role as his sidekick. Not that he had must choice in the matter. the woman was relentless and she was certainly no damsel in distress. As she would probably remind him several days throughout the rest of the day. But she was still very much human and Changkyun worried about her every second she was on a mission with him.

Coming to a halt beside a yellow SUV he crouched down and took a deep breath to centre himself. He reached out with his senses. There were two men in the van, adrenaline rushing through their veins making their heartbeats jumpy like a rabbit. The passenger held a rifle on his lap, the smell of gun-oil so strong on its cleaned barrel. Changkyun swore. If these guys had rifles then they were higher up the Rue Devil food chain than originally thought. That or someone had set them in the actual dealer's stead. Either way, it spelt trouble and the group would have to deal with it once the gangsters were locked up for the night. Opening his eyes The Silver Wolf stepped out into the road as the van turned the corner. It grumbled to a halt as the gangsters stared down the city's hero.

In the passenger seat, the man grinned, "Boss will be awfully happy if we kill this fucker. We can take him. Floor it!"

Judging by the fearful tang emanating from the driver he wasn't as convinced but the passenger slapped his arm hard.

“Floor it!”

The driver responded with a jump, his right foot pressing the pedal as low to the floor as it could go. The van shot forward aimed straight at the masked man. It grew closer. And closer. The headlights bearing down on him, the squeal of the tires a whirlwind in his mind. But before steel could meet flesh The Silver Wolf launched himself into the air and landed perfectly atop the roof. The loud thump and unexpected move caused the driver to swerve violently but Changkyun was ready. Smashing through the windshield with one hefty punch he yanked the wheel to the left effectively steering the machine straight into a cement pillar. He jumped from the vehicle as it connected with the wall. and flinched as he heard the driver's head smacked into the steering wheel. He would be okay but he was going to have one hell of a headache when he woke up. That just left the more dangerous of the two. The gunman.

With a jump, Changkyun launched himself towards the passenger door and yanked it clean off its hinges. The nuzzle of the gun pointed at his face, the man’s finger already pulling the trigger but Changkyun was faster. The bullet whooshed past his ear and embedded itself in a tan Kia behind them. Dodging sideways he grabbed the man in one hand and the gun in the other. Yanking he threw the man the floor. With a quick movement, he slid the ammo from the gun and tossed them aside. On the other side of the van, Sooee had arrived and was cuffing the unconscious driver to the wheel. The Silver Wolf's eyes never left the conscious gangster as Sooee opened the back of the van and began searching it.

“You stupid idiot.” Yelled the gangster from the floor backing up in fear despite his bravado.

“How did you know it was a sting?” The Wolf asked calm and calculating knowing how intimidating his voice could be.

The man tried to stand but a swift kick sent him back to the floor.

“An answer! How did you know it was a sting?”

The man sneered, "I ain't telling you shit!”

Sooee huffed as she climbed out the back of the van. Changkyun bit his lip wondering if it had been her disguise that gave them away or something else. Sooee raised a jovial eyebrow as she handed Changkyun a bag. His nose itched as he pulled as a handful of little pink pills.

“Well, well, well look what we have here. Kinda stupid bringing a stash this big into what you know was a trap.” He said with a triumphant air.

He strolled over to the downed man and crouched beside him brandishing the bag of drugs in his face.

“With this amount of shit you're going down for at least 20 and with running me over in your van well that's attempted murder. So you're looking for another 20 on top of that. So how about we cut a deal? Who's your supplier and how did you know this was a trap?”

The response was a glob of spit on the Wolf’s shoe.

“Fuck you dog boy!”

Changkyun made a noise of noncommittal at the back of his throat. “Okay fine how about this you tell me if Xiu Lin sold this to you. Then you tell me where I could find him and I won’t break both your legs?”

The man paled slightly. It was no secret that the Silver Wolf wasn’t like the movie heroes. He didn’t shy away from violence or fear tactics. But the dealer was a Rue Devil and he wasn’t going to whimper just because the man scared him.

“Go to hell.”

Changkyun sighed. Why couldn’t they just be easy for once?

————-

“Xiu Lin is definitely the supplier but the shipments are all sent out via third parties and dropped at the dealer’s homes. Our dealer knew nothing. Didn't even know who warned him off our trail. Said he got an anonymous text this morning.” Sooee said as she pulled herself onto the chair in the team’s meeting room. Changkyun stood off the side, mask off as he worried away at his nail.

The door flew open as Detective Moon stormed in. No one except Ryan jumped at the loud entrance.

“That is the most tight-lipped bastard I have ever had the misfortune of talking to. We getting nothing from him AND he is threatening a lawsuit against you. For god's sake Changkyun what were you thinking? Did you have to break his fingers like that?”

The boy shrugged, “Better than his legs!”

Moon motioned as if to strangle the hero. Red cleared her throat before the meeting could get out of hand.

“Well at least we know Xiu Lin is the supplier and Moon you said your people don’t think the pills are tainted?”

The detective threw one last annoyed look at Changkyun before nodding in Red’s direction.

“Despite their appearance each pill checked out. My team also raided two clubs downtown. All the bliss they got were good too.”

Red turned to face the board, she reeked of confusion and underneath it was something else. Guilt?

Changkyun pushed his confusion towards her. It was a skill they had begun working on. They had always known Red could send him comfort and help with control whenever they were in the same area. And with his increased serum dosage they had found, the hard way that Changkyun could push other emotions back at Red. The woman had not been too happy to find herself at the end of a horny young hero’s inner feelings as he was getting railed hard by his boyfriend in the back of her bar.

She turned to him and furrowed her brows together. She pushed back asking him to stop, she would tell him in time. He stopped although he had to wonder what had her so riled up.

“So what now? Wait for another bad pill to kill someone?” Sooee asked breaking the tension.

Moon deflated at the question. It was clear from the stumble on his chin and the heavy stink of coffee on him that this was keeping him awake.

“The investigation into Taeyoong’s death is turning up nothing. That Bad Dog fella her baby daddy was talking to used a burn phone and Xiu Lin is as slippery as a buttered up eel. My team is down a man after Hari took a bullet to the gut and I trust no one else to handle the devils. I don't know what else to do and to make matters worse, we got word this morning Sin Ryukjin has reemerged after his sabbatical.”

Changkyun sat up in his seat at the news. Kim Sidae was not going to be happy to hear this, the Starship CEO was going to be worse than every and Changkyun didn't need the extra stress.

“Sins back?”

Moon nodded, “He gave an official speech this morning. And I think we all know if he is back then the Devils are up to something.”

The rest of the meeting brought up nothing new. It was like they were hitting their heads against a brick wall while trying to see the bigger picture. With a sigh, he bid the other goodbye and began his trek to Starship's new studios to start looking at the group’s new album. The building wasn’t far from the bar so he decided to walk. He hoped it would clear his head or at least alone him some fresh air to relax. Instead, the walk only gave him time to ponder his many failures since becoming the Silver Wolf. He was still unable to stop the Rue Devils. His relationship with Hoseok was falling apart and he had no idea why. He had barely done anything for the group's new album, he had barely written any lyrics for it. The others didn’t blame him, of course, they all saw how overworked he was. But he couldn't help but hate himself just a little he was a musician who had no time for his music. Since he was little music had been his life, his happy place and now he tried to fit it into his schedule like another chore he had to do.

Seven songs would appear on the album and only two would contain his name as writer. Two songs with four lines each. Jooheon had written the rest. His best friend had patted his back, told him it was fine but Jooheon had always been a bad liar. It was clear how much the older rapper Jooheon just wanted the old days back. The days where they spent hours getting drunk, looking at dumb memes and writing thousands of lyrics. Changkyun yearned for those simpler times too especially as it seemed he rarely had any time for Jooheon and their friendship had taken a back seat to everything else in Changkyun's life. But he couldn’t go back to those more simpler days. Not when the Rue Devils were still out there hurting good people. Not when he still had nightmares, he saw his friends tied up in those chairs, Nero hovering over them. And every time the man killed them and Changkyun would have to watch. He couldn’t give into his urges until his friends were no longer in danger.

As he turned a corner he collided with the wobbly, hooded figure.

“Sorry.” He exclaimed as he caught the man’s buff arms.

He almost gagged as the stench of alcohol and vomit rose from under the guys hood almost shrouding him in a cloud of disgust. Clearly the man was wasted. Pushing Changkyun away, the drunk stumbled up some stones steps into the apartment doors. He swore before pushing open the doors and disappearing inside. The rapper just shook his head now frustrated that he was going to be late. The looming tower of Starship Entertainment came into view, the red and gold rocket lit up like a massive Christmas tree. Changkyun hated it, thought it stood out too much. He had even said it looked too much like a tacky neon sign at a 80's themed bar but the CEO and the board of directors loved it.

“Ah I.M welcome.” Greeted the burly security guard at the front entrance. The rapper smiled back slipping into that facade as he keyed in his code.

“Ah Seungmin-nim. Hows the wife?”

The guard laughed, a hearty belly laugh.

“Better. Thank you for your gift she loved it. She is having the hardest time with the twins.”

They exchanged a few more pleasantries before I.M waved goodbye and walked off towards Monsta X’s studios. He could already sense the comforting presence of his hyungs. Could already smell their excitement. He sensed each one out to make sure they were there.

Hyungwon’s vanilla and clean linen smell was like a dreamful haze in the corner of the room. Beside him was Kihyun’s chocolatey spice. The bubblegum and sunscreen scent from Minhyuk was fused with Jooheon’s baby powder and Eucalyptus as the two danced together in the middle of the room. Shownu’s leather and camomile always felt protective and caring. Then there was Hoseok. His boyfriend always smelt like roses and grass, a day in a summer garden. He inhaled deeply trying to relax when another smell assaulted his nostrils. A chemical cologne covered up the smell of mud and bananas. He was used to smelling new scents all the time for the group worked with so many people yet this scent was to closely intermingled with that of his boyfriend. A small growl elicited from his throat at the thought of Hoseok’s scent been so mixed with someone other than their group, other than him. And as he entered the room he almost bared his teeth. For there stood one of the most handsome men Changkyun had ever seen. His expensive suit was so unashamedly tight that it was almost pornographic. And his beefy arm was slung Hoseok’s shoulders. The feeling of closeness, of friendship, reached out from between them.

“Ah Kyunnie, your here!” Shownu exclaimed as he saw the maknae walk in. The leader stepped in front of the view and gave the youngest a look. One that said I'm sorry. Said don't get angry. One that spoke of pity and Changkyun hated it. Hoseok, on the other hand, didn't seem to sense the sour mood in the room and he pulled the man over the youngest. A huge grin adorned his face, a grin Changkyun hadn't seen in weeks and that hurt more than expected.

“Ah Kyunggie. Come met my best friend from childhood. Sam!”

The man thrust out a beautifully manicured hand. Changkyun shook it and almost laughed at how hard the man squeezed. This Sam character was clearly trying to show himself to be the toughest. Changkyun squeezed back, smiling as Sam pulled his hand back with a hiss.

“Quite the grip there!”

He ignored the warning look Hoseok threw him.

“Thanks. I work out. Hoseokkie hyung likes to… get me sweaty.”

The snicker from Jooheon was almost worth the death glare Hosoek threw him. He didn’t like this Sam guy. Something felt off. Shownu stepped up before a pissing match could start. He placed his hand on the youngest's shoulder and gave an affectionate squeeze.

"Go get changed into something more comfortable. We gonna be here a while and I don't feel like listening to you complain about your jeans chaffing your balls again."

Despite himself, Changkyun couldn't help but laugh, "that was one time."

Shownu just winked and pushed him towards the locker room. His locker was stuffed with the usual over-sized hoodies and a medkit in case things got hairy. As he unbuckled his belt he realized that something felt oddly weighted in his front pocket. Feeling around inside he pulled out a polaroid-esque picture. A candid shot from afar and tt was of Sooee coming out of Red’s bar. In sharpie written beneath it was the words Sidekick!

Nausea swept over him as he stood frozen. He flipped the picture around but no other information could be found. Who could have done this?

Lifting it to his nose he sniffed and hissed as alcohol assaulted his nostrils.

The stumbling drunk! The man must have slipped it in his pocket when they ran into each other. But why and who was he?

“Kyun you done yet?” Called Jooheon as his best friend walked over to join him. Hurriedly he stuffed the picture into his backpack and vowed to return to the spot he had last seen the drunk.

Jooheon stood before him, his dimpled smile almost contagious in its brilliance. It dropped slightly at the paleness on Changkyun’s face.

“Damn dude, you okay? You look terrible.” Jooheon reached the back of his hand to Changkyun’s forehead. The youngest swatted him away without much fire.

“Yeah, sorry man just…”

He paused unsure what to say. He couldn’t confess that he had found the candid shot of Sooee. Jooheon had an odd relationship with the girl and he hated been reminded of any potential danger his friend could be in. A laugh drew his attention the other side of the room where Hoseok was all but hanging of the adonis like Sam. Jooheon’s eye followed to where he was looking and immediately moved closer to his best friend.

“Hey, they're just friends. Like me and you, right?”

Changkyun hadn't even been thinking about his boyfriend's close proximity to the other man and now it was all he could think of. What made things worse was if Jooheon was trying to comfort him then the older rapper was worried. Sure enough he watched as his boyfriend sidled even closer to Sam. His nose scrunched as the lustful smell of candlewax assaulted his nostrils from Sam’s direction. A small growl escaped his throat. Jooheon looked at him panicked and turned towards him, blocking the sight.

“Dude don’t! You know he doesn’t mean anything by it.”

Changkyun blinked in annoyance. His boyfriend was practically throwing himself at this new guy and he was just supposed to shrug it off while if he so much as smiled at another person Hoseok threw a tantrum. It was unfair and quite frankly he was getting tired of the hypocrisy. He wanted to scream and shout. He wanted to pull Hoseok away from the other boy, remind him that he was the only one he should touch like that. He wanted to yell at Jooheon for always been on Hoseok’s side. For never just been angry alongside Changkyun. He wanted to storm out and find the man who had slipped the picture into his back pocket. He wanted to allowed to be angry for once without his group treating him like a bomb waiting to go off. But instead, he just sighed and plastered on a fake smile. The sigh of relief Jooheon let lose made Changkyun’s blood boil.

As the rappers joined the rest of the group Changkyun couldn’t help but feel Sam’s eyes boring into him. A shiver went down his spine as they made eye contact. Something was off about the guy and it wasn’t because his hand was resting too close to Hoseok’s ass.

“Oka,y now that everyone is finally here I would just like the thank you guys for allowing me to be a part of your next album. I have been the biggest fan since No Mercy days. And I like to think I know the style and sound that encompasses Monsta X.”

Finally detaching himself from Hoseok’s side he moved over towards a laptop that had been hooked up to the speakers.

“So I am thinking this would be the title track.”

He pressed play and a mild melody floated through the room. It sounded familiar, aching so. Sam pressed paused and turned around to look at the group with a smirk on his face. His eyes lingered on Changkyun.

“What do you think I.M. I know you used to have a lot of say in the albums when you had more time…”

He left the question open almost with an unspoken threat. It sent the hairs on Changkyun’s arms raising in a warning.

“Well, its a nice tune if we were doing a rewrite of BTS’s Blood, Sweat and Tears. That intro is practically the same note for note and the chorus sounds like a speed up version of that song. We would be crucified alive for using it.”

Judging by the way the others looked away they clearly agreed with him. All except Hoseok who rolled his eyes and looked away. Sam on the other hand just stared at Changkyun.

“Very well. I have another sample that will perhaps please you.”

A whiff of ozone fluttered in the air. Clearly Sam didn’t like him. The feeling was mutual. The second song started and while it was original it was slow. A nice ballad for later in the album. Not a Monsta X title song. The song paused halfway and Sam turned to glare at him.

“Judging by your face you aren’t a fan of this either.”

Taken aback by the way the other man spoke to him Changkyun could only stare back aghast.

“Excuse me?” he stepped towards Sam. Shownu was faster though and stood between them.

“Sam that's a wonderful song however our fans have come to expect our comeback songs to be powerful and faster.”

A muscle on Sam’s jaw clenched in frustration and Changkyun had to fight the urge to give him the finger. The feeling quickly dissipated as Hoseok rushed to the composer’s side.

“What Shownu means is as much as we would love to do a ballad its not what we are known for. But perhaps you could show them the song you sent me last week.”

Something dropped inside Changkyun. Hoseok had been chatting to this guy and this was the first he was hearing of it. He wasn't usually the possessive or the jealous type but even he had to admit something didn’t seem right. The feeling must have shown on his face as a small smirk passed across Sam’s face.

“Actually that’s a great idea.” He grinned up at Hoseok and it was almost like the other man swooned at the attention. Jealousy reared its ugly head.

Things only got worse from there. Each time the pair would laugh or talk to one another, Changkyun got a violent urge to throw Sam out the closest window. He didn’t even care about the worried looks Jooheon was throwing in his direction.

It was Minhyuk who finally pulled him aside as they were coming back from dinner and gave him a big hug.

“Oh maknae I am so sorry for how Hoseok is acting.”

Holding the youngest’s head to his chest he stroked the boy’s hair. Preening under his teammate's affections Changkyun pouted.

“Doesn’t he see how upsetting it is seeing him throw himself at Sam like that. And he has barely said a word to me all day. I don’t understand I thought things were good. Hyung what do I do?”

His voice may have quivered slightly on the last word but he felt he deserved the dramatics. Around Minhyuk he could be dramatic and say what was really on his mind. Said man merely pulled his head closer and intensified the petting.

“Shhh its okay baby!”

He sunk further into the affection. Minhyuk just sighed.

“You need to talk to him Kyun. And I mean really talk to him. Tell him that you know something is wrong. We all see it. He has been off with you for weeks. Maybe he has something on his mind and is too scared to tell you.”

Changkyun knew what the other was saying was worthy advice but a lump of fear sat in his chest. What if he spoke to Hoseok, confessed how he was feeling and the older boy decided their relationship was no longer worth it. After years of being in love with the older singer, it would kill him to find out Hoseok didn’t want him anymore.

From one of the recording booths the sound of laughter reached Changkyun’s ears and with a little adjustment he eavesdropped in. Sam and Hoseok sat alone in the room as they went over the songs.

“I don’t think your boyfriend likes me very much.” Sam teased.

Hoseok snorted, the kind he used when something annoyed him.

“Yeah well, you're my friend so he just needs to get used to that. But maybe tone down the flirting. I don’t feel like dealing with the fallout tonight.”

Changkyun felt like he had been punched. He shifted away from Minhyuk ignoring the way he called out his name in question.

“Why don’t you like the way I flirt with you? You used to love it.” Sam purred, the sharp tang of lust hitting Changkyun like a freight train. He whined at the realization that it wasn’t only Sam’s lust.

“Sam. You know I love the attention but you and I? We didn’t work remember. And…and I’m with Changkyun now.”

Changkyun ripped himself away from the conversation. His heart beating a million miles an hour as thoughts swirled around his head in a vicious circle.

Sam and Hoseok had been together before?

They clearly still harboured feelings for one another.

Where did that leave Changkyun?

He pushed away now fully from Minhyuk and rushed out the room in search of some fresh air. It was like the whole room was collapsing on him. His emotions were in disarray and with that his control began to slip. The lights became too bright. The sounds of songs, talking and heartbeats became a convoluted symphony. His skin was simultaneously on fire and freezing cold. He needed to get away so he could think straight.

Not caring where he was going he rushed out of the building and took off down the banks of the river. Pushing himself so the only noise in his head was the sound of the blood pumping in his veins.

Finally, he stumbled to a halt and hunched over as his emotions overtook him. A sob escaped his mouth and he tried to cover any others with his hand over his mouth.

He was losing Hoseok and had no idea what he had done wrong. Standing up straight he took a deep breath in and tried to regain his control. Looking out across the water he tried to use it to soothe himself. All it did was remind him of Valentine’s Day.

The group had gotten off early and Hoseok had been acting weird all day. Giggling to himself and winking every time the two made eye contact. He hadn’t been able to keep his hands off Changkyun loving the way the youngest blushed at all the attention. Hoseok had driven them out a secluded spot near the river, a picnic basket in hand. They had sat and eaten for what felt like hours. Just enjoying each other's company and then Hoseok had given him a beautiful chain bracelet held together with a wrought iron heart. Their initials had been engraved on it.

He still wore the bracelet, his left hand instinctively reaching out for it as tears slid down his cheeks. How long ago that date felt. When they were happy. When Hoseok’s jealousy resulted in bruising kisses and whispers of _m__ine._ When his boyfriend spoke to him without frustration lacing each word.

“When did I stop been your person?” Hoseok’s question floated into his memory and as another tear rolled down his cheek he couldn’t help but wonder when he had stopped been Hoseok’s.

——————————

Across the river, the man lowered his binoculars and grinned. He could taste the victory of those tears. It was fascinating to watch. The fall of a hero! How beautiful it would all be and it would all be his handiwork. The joy was almost too much to bear.

Rolling up the window of his car he started the engine but not before looking in his rearview mirror at the sleeping figure in his backseat. How peaceful they looked now. The calm before the storm.

He smiled.


	4. Those who go bump in the night

Mist swirled around the bathroom as Changkyun stepped out of the shower allowing himself a minute to compose himself. His group was used to him running off in the middle of practice. Justice had to come first so no one questioned him when he walked in later. Judging by the pitiful smile Minhyuk gave him, the other had covered for him. But there was still the elephant in the room.

An elephant named Sam. Who, when Changkyun had got home, had been sitting in his favourite spot on the couch chatting with the group members as if he had every right to be there.

Pulling on his pants and a loose shirt Changkyun walked out of the bathroom and straight into Hoseok. The look on his boyfriend’s face would have been comical had Changkyun felt in the mood to laugh.

“Oh mmm you're done? I wanted to come see if you wanted to play a round of Fortnite. Sam’s gone and…”

“And now you have time for me.”

He hadn’t meant for the words to slip out his mouth or maybe his had. Either way Hoseok blinked at him owlishly.

“What?”

With a roll of his eyes, Changkyun pushed past the other boy and stormed off to his bedroom. Minhyuk’s words from earlier all too prevalent in his head. They needed to talk and from the way, Hoseok followed him, he knew it too.

The door closed behind him.

“Alright, what's wrong now?”

Changkyun flinched at the harshness of the sentence and he turned to his boyfriend.

“What wrong? What wrong is unless you forgot I am your partner, Hoseok. Me. So when you act like I don’t exist and practically drape yourself across Sam all day then it hurts my feelings okay!”

Hoseok rolled his eyes and turned away.

“Hanging myself off him? My god, you are throwing this way out of proportion! Besides am I not allowed to hug my friends?”

“Hug? That was not hugging! You barely left his side all day. Even the others think something is up.”

Hoseok moved forward so he was crowding Changkyun’s space. It was a dangerous thing to do considering the predator DNA in the boy’s veins. Predators did not do well when backed into a corner.

“Oh, so now you gossiping behind my back too now, hey? Well you can tell those gossip mongers to stay the hell out of our relationship. And if they are all so chirpy because I was hanging out with a friend then why don’t they get all pissy when you hang out with Sooee or Ryan or whoever else you spend your precious time with.”

The anger wafting off Hoseok mixed in with his own and Changkyun knew he should step back. But the other kept advancing and the insinuation that his time spent with the Silver Wolf team was in any way close to the flirtatious ministrations of today then the singer was an idiot.

“Don’t you dare try to say my relationship with Sooee and the others is anything but professional. I don’t hang off her reeking of lust. Oh yeah, you forgot that little fact. I could smell it all over you.”

Hoseok’s eyes widened at the accusation, “Kyun…” he tried to interject.

“Did you forget to tell me the two of you were an couple once. Oh yeah I heard you little conversation too by the way. Makes the fact that you texting him apparently all the time even worse. You freak out at me for so much as looking at other people yet here you are texting your ex and practically throwing yourself at him all day. In front of me! What the fuck is going on Hoseok?”

A wave of emotions swirled around the room mimicking the ones Hoseok was feeling.

“Its not like that! Okay yeah, I have been talking to him and yeah maybe I should have told you about him. But it felt good having someone I could talk to. Someone who I’m not worried is going to have to run off mid-conversation. Someone who will pay attention to me! Someone who isn’t reading my fucking emotions and heartbeat when I am with them. I needed to talk to... to someone human.”

The tension in the air snapped as Hoseok realized what he had just said. A tiny sound fell of Changkyun’s lips as the truth of it sunk in. Hoseok saw him as something non-human. Some kind of monster.

Long thought buried voices came to live. The idea that he was a monster creeping around inside his brain. He nodded as he attempted to hold back his own emotions.

“Wait Kyunggie that’s not what I meant. I just…” he reached out for the youngest but the boy stepped back. Hurt writing all over his face. The rapper felt like he had been stabbed all over again. This time right in the heart.

He wanted to cry. He wanted the world to just stop for a little bit so he could catch his breath but the universe was a cold, cruel mistress.

“Guys come here quickly.” Came Kihyun’s panicked voice from the far side of the house. Argument temporarily shelved the troubled couple ran to the tv room where everyone stood staring in horror at the tv. Changkyun knew then that something was wrong. With heavy steps, he strode the rest of the way and gasped as the screen came into sight. The breaking news banner scrolled across the top of the screen while the bottom read: **Idol Killer Strikes Again.**

The screen was darker than before, louder too. Overhead streetlights illuminated the scene. Changkyun’s heart stuttered as he recognized the location. It was the river. The exact spot he had been standing in early that day during his meltdown.

The camera focused on the figure on the screen and Jooheon cried out.

Yoo Ilkwon’s tear-stained face came into view. The rapper was the star of the up and coming group BIC. Jooheon had helped mentor him during Producer 101. Yet here he knelt begging for mercy, eyes screwed shut. He was shaking as the voice behind the camera spoke.

“Open your eyes Ilkwon. See what you have done.”

The boy gave a heart-wrenching sob and shook his head.

“I can make it all go away. Confess!”

The terror of the statement so similar to the one that had been ushered to Taeyoong before she died caused Ilkwon’s eyes to fly open in fear. His eyes grew wide as he stared at something offscreen.

“No! Dear god no please.” He begged attempting to back up but his hands were tied behind his back and his legs were locked in fear. He began to scream. The sheer terror in the scream was enough to make Changkyun jump in shock. Jooheon left the room unable to watch anymore while Kihyun hid in the cusp of Shown’s shoulder sobbing as he did so.

“Please No!” The boy screamed as he closed his eyes once more shaking in terror.

“Confess.” The voice whispered invitingly.

The screen was silent except for the quiet sobs from the terrified boy. So when he spoke his whisper sounded like a scream.

“I killed him.”

The air in the tv room grew stifling at the confession.

“My uncle. I killed him. He raised us after our mother committed suicide. He was also so cruel. He used to beat me over every little thing. It was the worst possible existence but he left my little sister alone so I took the beatings. Until one day it wasn’t enough. He kept saying she was too pretty for someone so young. He kept… he kept touching her. She told me she was scared of him. I promised to take her away but he found us trying to leave. He said he wanted to kill me but after he…I wouldn’t allow him to touch her. I beat his skull in with the hammer from his toolbox. Then I put him in his car and pushed it into oncoming traffic.”

Behind the camera, the voice gave a low, cruel giggle.

“Good boy.”

The figure stepped forward and reaching down towards the shaking boy carefully placed the pink pill in his hands.

“You are free from your sin now.”

Ilkwon swallowed the pill and within seconds his face went slack and he slumped to the floor. The screen went dead. The news anchor began talking but Changkyun had closed it off. He could sense the commotion around him. Someone's hand on his shoulder. Tears of grief from one of his friends. But his only thought was that he had failed.

He was brought back to the present by the ringing of his phone. The rest of the group went quiet as he answered.

“You saw?” Moon asked, his voice hurried, it was clear he was rushing to his car.

“Yes,” Changkyun answered, tone clipped and filled with grief.

“I can deal with this alone if you…”

“No. I’ll meet you there. I’m not letting this bastard get away.”

Stuffing the phone back in his pocket he hurried to his bedroom mind slipping into mission mode. Footsteps shuffled behind him. Hoseok’s. He didn’t have time to stop and chat. Changing quickly he felt his suit mould to his body.

“You going?” Hoseok finally spoke up. It was small and filled with longing. Changkyun looked at his boyfriend and had he not been so upset from their earlier fight and so worked up from what they had witnessed on the screen he would have sensed how much Hoseok was hurting. In a better situation, he would have hugged the older man. If his boyfriend hadn't inferred that he was a monster then he would have told him everything would be okay and that he was loved. Instead, he just pushed past the other boy already texting Sooee to meet his at the crime scene.

“Changkyun. Please…” Hoseok called out, desperate and begging for something the youngest couldn’t understand. This time he stopped, realizing that the others were watching from the tv room. Their eyes were wide with worry. Changkyun looked over his shoulder at his boyfriend, searching his face for answers to the myriad of problems that were drowning him.

“I have to go. Before that monster hurts someone else again. I’m needed there after all. You can stay here and talk to someone human.”

And with that, he was gone out the door.

———————————

Moon stared at the scene with a growing sense of dread. Crime scene tape cordoned off the area. A few dozen officers and forensics walked the scene each hoping to be the one to crack the case. But no matter the commotion nothing could take his eyes of the black sheet that fluttered slightly in the wind concealing the body underneath.

Yoo Ilkwon. 19 years old with the brightest of futures ahead of him. Cut short by some mad man with a pink pill. Moon cracked the knuckles on his left hand as he mused over his failings. If he had been better, smarter or stronger they would have matched the bastard already and a young boy wouldn’t lay dead before him.

A shadow passed in front of him but Moon didn’t need to look up to know the Silver Wolf had arrived.

The hero silently stared at the body before he finally spoke. Quiet so only the detective could hear.

“He was one of Jooheon’s mentees. I knew him. I bought his first beer.”

Moon looked at the hero is surprise before his face morphed with pain.

“I failed him if I had just been better…”

The Wolf’s armoured hand clenched around his arm.

“Moon we are doing everything we could but I think there may be more to this than originally thought.”

Moon wished not for the first time that he could see Changkyun’s face under the mask. He hated looking at the snarling silver fangs but mostly because he hated not being able to see the emotions that crossed the boy’s face. The Silver Wolf, however, squared his shoulders and walked on into the crime scene. Head held high as he clearly sniffed out the area. From behind the cordon, reporters shouted his name for comment. One he would never give no matter how much they begged.

Much like the first scene, this one had been scrubbed with alcohol and bleach. Even Moon could smell the unnatural sterility of the area. Any other evidence would have been blown away in the wind. Not like there was much, to begin with. The entire thing was caught on camera and the killer didn’t leave a trace. But something was bugging the detective. Something about the man’s voice he had caught before. Striding over to where The Silver Wolf was huddled beside some bushes fruitlessly searching for a clue, Moon lit up a cigarette.

“Did you think there was something off about the killer’s voice?” He asked trying to sound nonchalant despite it being the only clue they had.

The Wolf didn’t move from his search, instead throwing his answer over his shoulder.

“Red thinks he is using a voice changer. Similar to how I use mine.”

Moon nodded. Red had informed him of her thoughts the previous day yet still there was something that didn’t sit right with him. Pulling out his phone he opened the file containing the two videos. He played them both noting the clipped way the man spoke. By the time he had listened to the damning Confess line, the Wolf had come to join him.

“His pronunciation is off.” The hero proclaimed.

Moon nodded and played the file again. Sure enough, he seemed to add an inflection into the word that shouldn’t have been there.

“He speaks like Korean isn’t his first language. A foreigner perhaps.” The hero wondered. The detective looked off in the distance as the pathologist's team carted off the body.

“We already know Xiu Lin supplies the Bliss. Maybe he is the killer too.”

Moon knew his own conclusion sounded too hopeful. The hero shook his head.

“No. Xiu Lin likes to hide in the shadows. Makes others do his dirty work. The killer is someone else.”

He seemed to falter slightly as if thinking about something.

“Listen I gotta do something. I’ll meet you back at Red’s for the debrief.”

And without waiting for an answer The Silver Wolf took off into the tree line.

————————-

Changkyun liked to run. He never used to. Not before his little DNA alteration but now it was freeing. Cleared his head and allowed the predator within him to release the wildness it felt. Most days he ran for fun. Today he ran for purpose.

He needed to find this killer before he could strike again.

Slowing to a jog he made sure this was the right apartment building. The smell of alcohol still lingered. The day had been so long and emotional that Changkyun had forgotten about the picture of Sooee.

The apparent drunk would have easily slipped the picture into his pocket when they had walked into each other and naturally the alcohol would have dulled his senses.

But there was something else that worried him. Something the detective had said about the killer been foreign. For now, he thought back to it he was pretty sure the stumbling drunk had been white.

Moving up the cracking stairs he ran a gloved finger across the worn names of the tenants, all appeared to be Korean names but that didn’t mean much. Backing up he looked up at the building trying to find a way in. A few dirty windows were opened slightly to let in the warm summer breeze but he couldn’t well climb into a stranger's home asking about a drunk guy. His eyes fell on an open basement window beside the steps. Dropping to the floor he saw it was used for the laundry and storage area. Shimming the window open he slipped in grubbily slightly as his body caught slightly on the edges.

The room was dark but it mattered not for his superior sight. Carefully weaving himself amongst the boxes he made his way up the stairs, mentally cheering when the door opened without a hitch. The inner building was old and in need of repair. The walls were a sickly eggshell colour and it reeked of years of home cooking and cigarette smoke. But under it was a trail of alcohol leading up the worn stairs. The noise of TVs and radio playing drowned out the sound of his steps as he followed the waning smell. Right up to the last apartment on the top floor. No light seeped out the bottom but as he put his ear to the door he could hear a single heartbeat inside. Looking around to make sure no one was watching he carefully picked the lock and let himself in.

The feeling of wrong hit him immediately. A breeze from a broken window whipped old papers and garbage around the empty apartment. A piece of paper blew against his leg, a yellow notice. Picking it up he read the notice with growing apprehension.

Final notice. All tenants must vacate the building by February 19th. By order of the management.

That had been almost four months ago. Reaching out with his senses he realized that under the sounds of TVs and radios he heard no other human noises. No heartbeats, no babbling babies, no chatting couples. Only the heartbeat in this apartment. Carefully he radioed for Ryan.

“Hey, ping into my location. I am on the top floor the last apartment on the left. I think I just walked into a trap.”

Behind him, a tv suddenly blared to life and the hero couldn’t help but jump in fear. The screen showed a room empty except for a teddy bear sitting in the middle of it. Moving forward towards the tv he felt his breath catching in his throat. There was a signboard hung around the bear’s neck. And as Changkyun bent down to stare at the sign, the broken pixels forming the words he swallowed in terror.

Then the room erupted in an explosion of flames and rubble. The last thing Changkyun remembered before he was thrown against the wall was the words.

Bad Dog!

————————

Detective Jaehyung Moon jumped out of the car before he had even brought it to a complete stop. Around him, the debris of the explosion rained down on the street. The sirens of the fire engines filled up the sky.

He had felt the ripple of the explosion rip through his car before he had even turned into the road and his heart had almost stopped in his chest. He had been heading back to the station when Ryan called him.

“Changkyun may be in trouble. He thinks he has walked into a trap. Location is 1099 3rd street.”

He had barely put the address into the GPS when the night sky lit up with the explosion. Memories from a previous explosion last year wrecked his mind. The death of his deputy forced back to the forefront of his mind and now Changkyun had been in this one. He ran into the building not caring for protocol. The explosion had been localized meaning that despite the violence, there was little damage to the rest of the building. Although a hazy film hung around the place as plaster and dust had been knocked loose.

“Ryan, are you getting anything from Changkun?” He yelled as he looked around the half-destroyed building.

“His vitals are still reading but he isn’t responding to our hails. He may have been knocked out. Sooee and Red are on their way.” Came the panicked response.

His phone pinged as Ryan sent the current location of Changkyun.

“Wolf!” He yelled remembering even them to keep the kid's identity safe.

He took the steps two at a time calling out for the boy. His earpiece suddenly shuddered to life.

“Moon!” Came the pained voice of Changkyun.

“I’m coming kiddo. You okay.”

Moon felt panic rising in his stomach. Changkyun had survived been shot, stabbed and blown up before. But that was before Moon knew him as the odd kid he was. Now he saw the boy as the son he never had.

“Fucker rigged place for me.” He coughed. “Think argh couple ribs broken. Head hurts."

The top floor was a mess most of the door had been thrown open, the lighting fixtures hung from the roof in haphazard ways. Moon pushed past them intent on getting to Changkyun as soon as he could. The pinging on his phone grew louder the closer he got to the hero. The room where the explosion originated was open to the elements. The thin walls had collapsed into the neighbouring room. Jumping over the rumble, carefully to miss any open wires Moon began to pull away at the rubble until he saw the dusty cover of the Silver Wolf mask. Will a sigh of relief he pulled the rest of the rubble away and carefully helped Changkyun to his feet.

The boy hissed as he gripped his ribs and he leaned heavily onto the detective.

“Can you walk?” The older man asked fearing he wouldn’t be able to hold the boy’s weight up. He was sold muscle and Moon wasn’t getting any younger. Changkyun attempted to stand but with a cry of pain, he fell back into Moon’s side.

“Sorry. I don’t think so.”

Moon just nodded and adjusted the grip on the boy. Carefully they made their way towards the stairs all the while he listened to the boy’s ragged breathing. He knew how dangerous those broken ribs could be. One small knock and it could puncture the boy’s lungs. The hero stumbled trying to subdue the groan of pain that escaped his chest.

“Shh it's okay Kyun its okay.”

By the time they got to the stairs flashlights from the firefighters flashed over their faces.

“Are you okay?” The lead firefighter said until his eyes caught sight of the Silver Wolf and his eyes widened.

“Oh my god is that…”

Moon glared at the man, “Help me here. Wolf is hurt. Broken ribs. There will be a woman waiting for him downstairs. Get him to her.”

He carefully allowed the man to picked Changkyun up in the most careful manner possible. The man looked up at Moon in confusion.

“What about you sir?”

Moon was already walking back to the room.

“Put out the fire, secure the area. I have an investigation to start.”

——————

Changkyun awoke with a groan. His head felt like it was on fire as did his ribs. He opened his eyes hissing as even in the dark room the light seemed overwhelming. He recognized the room immediately. The makeshift hospital room under Red’s bar. Beside him, Red moved into view. She placed a motherly hand on his arm.

“Hey Kyun how ya feeling?”

He groaned out a response. He had felt worse.

With Red’s help, he managed to sit up cupping his hurt ribs.

“They’ve healed but they gonna feel bruised for a few days. Brains a little rattled but that’s to be expected.”

She looked down at the floor seemingly unable to meet the boy’s eye.

“Kyun listen I have to leave for a week or two.”

He turned to look at her and tried to sense her. But his head was messing with his powers and the push was just giving him more of a headache.

“Red?”

She sighed and told hold of his hand.

“I suspected it but after last night.”

She sighed and he could tell even without his powers that she felt guilty.

“Red?”

“I think the killer is like us.”

The statement shocked Changkyun. He stared at her. She squeezed his hand.

“He knows how to block your senses. And then there is this.”

She handed him a note, one that had been folded and unfolded multiple times. Three sentences were typed.

_Woof woof your little wolf barks_   
_But does he know he wasn’t your first?_   
_Because I bite!_

He shook his head.

“Who could it be?”

She shook her head, “There were a few dozen soldiers who were injected with the serum. Those that didn’t go mad and get themselves killed a locked up in high-security prisons. But once the program was shut down…”

She stopped. Changkyun felt his heart began to beat wildly.

“Red! What?”

“I don’t know how many are left but any of them could be the one who is doing this. Like I said the serum turned them mad! I made some calls to friends back in the US military. The files are classified so I am going to have to do some illegal digging, call in some favours that are owed. I am going to do what I can to figure out who this is.”

“Why would they come after us? Why come after me?”

Red looked at him in confusion. He told her about the note he received as well as the picture of Sooee. Her face turned more worried at the idea that Sooee was under focus.

“I’ll head to America go through every one of the men who had the serum. I leave tonight.”

Changkyun gave her a smile before a memory came across his mind.

“Red in the box of serums, from the ones you gave me. There was another vial missing. Your brother…”

She blanched at the suggestion and shook her head vividly.

“No Gideon is in jail. For life. I would know if he was out.”

He nodded and she scooped him into a bear hug. Before cupping his cheek.

“Keep them safe while I am gone and don’t go getting into any more trouble okay?”

They both knew that was a promise he couldn’t make but it was the thought that counted. With one last caring caress, she left the room. Changkyun lay back in the bed allowing himself a moment of reprieve. He hadn’t felt the kind of fear in over a year. Not since Nero.

Whoever was sending the messages set that trap knowing he would go back to that apartment. They knew who he was outside of his suit. They also knew the explosion wouldn’t have killed him. It had been meant to scare him, to let him know he was there.

Bad Dog.

He carefully got out of the bed and made his way to the debriefing room.

Bad Dog.

The word had hung around the bear’s neck. It was the call sign the man texting Lee Kitae had used. Pulling out the evidence files from Taayoon’s death he began looking through the notes. The preliminary reports on Ilkwon were in the database already as was the video. With a deep breath, he spread the files across the table and dove in.

Hours later the door opened but it wasn’t enough to make him look up. He felt like he was looking at a puzzle with half the puzzles missing. Sooee leaned against the doorframe.

“I dropped Red off at the airport.”

He didn’t reply instead he pushed around some papers looking frantically for a note he had seen earlier.

“She told me about the notes you guys have been receiving.”

Finally, he threw down the photos of Ilkwon’s crime scene and ran his hands angrily through his hair.

“None of makes sense. Why kill these idols? Why the need to humiliate them? Make them confess and how does it relate to the serum?”

Sooee came to stand beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. With a deep sigh, his own head came to rest upon hers.

“I’m scared Soo. I feel it in my bones! This is just the beginning. And I’m scared that if I don’t solve this soon more people are going to die.”

She intertwined her fingers with his and he felt himself calm a little at her touch.

“We will stop it Kyun. I promise. Let’s wait until Moon comes back with more information on the explosion and we can figure out what to do next.”

He hummed in agreement.

“Go home Kyun. Spend some time with the boys. Jooheon says you guys haven’t spent much time together recently.”

He nodded and gave a final squeeze to her hands.

“Call me if anything comes up.”


End file.
